{"title":"University English teachers’ research conceptions and engagement: Insights from Cambodian higher education","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102450","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Research into teacher research has received considerable attention in the last few decades. However, it still remains crucial to examine how teachers understand research and to what extent they engage in it. This study investigated how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Cambodian higher education perceived and engaged in research. The study employed a qualitative case study and collected data through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 16 EFL teachers from two universities (private, metropolitan, and provincial). Findings based on thematic analysis show that Cambodian university EFL teachers were positive about the value of research, yet their conceptions of research were mixed and contested. Their research engagement was markedly limited and was confined to conducting research to fulfill degree requirements; attending conferences, workshops, or seminars; and supervising students’ research projects. There was almost no involvement in academic publishing due to various challenges to their research engagement endeavors, including time constraints, research knowledge deficiency, lack of funding and support for research, limited social recognition of research, and insufficient sources of research motivation. The participants offered a set of recommendations to improve the overall environment for research to enhance Cambodian EFL teachers’ research engagement. The study concludes with a discussion and policy implications of the findings, as well as suggestions for future research considering the study limitations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48076,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035524001356/pdfft?md5=6dace066ea2fdfa5db64be8f7b223c7c&pid=1-s2.0-S0883035524001356-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Educational Research","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035524001356","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Research into teacher research has received considerable attention in the last few decades. However, it still remains crucial to examine how teachers understand research and to what extent they engage in it. This study investigated how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Cambodian higher education perceived and engaged in research. The study employed a qualitative case study and collected data through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 16 EFL teachers from two universities (private, metropolitan, and provincial). Findings based on thematic analysis show that Cambodian university EFL teachers were positive about the value of research, yet their conceptions of research were mixed and contested. Their research engagement was markedly limited and was confined to conducting research to fulfill degree requirements; attending conferences, workshops, or seminars; and supervising students’ research projects. There was almost no involvement in academic publishing due to various challenges to their research engagement endeavors, including time constraints, research knowledge deficiency, lack of funding and support for research, limited social recognition of research, and insufficient sources of research motivation. The participants offered a set of recommendations to improve the overall environment for research to enhance Cambodian EFL teachers’ research engagement. The study concludes with a discussion and policy implications of the findings, as well as suggestions for future research considering the study limitations.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Educational Research publishes regular papers and special issues on specific topics of interest to international audiences of educational researchers. Examples of recent Special Issues published in the journal illustrate the breadth of topics that have be included in the journal: Students Perspectives on Learning Environments, Social, Motivational and Emotional Aspects of Learning Disabilities, Epistemological Beliefs and Domain, Analyzing Mathematics Classroom Cultures and Practices, and Music Education: A site for collaborative creativity.